Hello 2016! The five basic plans your business must have

Hello 2016! Another new year has rolled around with unlimited possibilities. How great is that feeling of being able to wipe the slate clean and start fresh!

I remember my first day of school each year. Walking into the classroom with a new backpack, sharpened colour pencils and the smell of fresh contact book coverings in the air…

We all have the goal of making changes, sticking to our plans and seeing out our New Year resolutions, however, once your back into the grind it is easy to forget those lofty goals you set at the end of 2015.

You kind of need a plan to stick to your plan. Make sure everything is written down – sales, marketing, time management, budgets etc.. Having plans that only exist in your head is a quick road to failure.

Here are some of the excuses I hear from women who have not committed plans to paper:

“I need to put a day aside so I can focus”

No you don’t. The fact is that something more important will most likely come up and you will never get around to it. One hour of planning is better than none at all. Planning often requires a little creativity so spending an hour when you feel inspired is better than 5 hours when you don’t.

“I don’t know what plans I need”

Yes you do, I scream about them constantly. Here is a reminder of the basic plans every business should have.

Sales Plan – month by month sales targets

Marketing Plan – month by month activities

Cash Flow Plan/budget – a record of every cent you need to spend each month to run your business and the money you expect to come in

Time Management Plan (Perfect Week Schedule) – a timetable of when you will be focusing on different area’s of your business

Action Plan – a list of tasks with due dates that need to be done to move your business forward

“I don’t know where to start”

Start anywhere! Just get started! Pick a plan and write down some details. It doesn’t need to be perfect. An imperfect plan is better than no plan at all. You can always make improvements as you go.

“I haven’t found the perfect tool”

Stop looking! Go old school style and grab an exercise book and a pen and get started. One of my biggest frustrations is women wasting time searching for the perfect solution to manage their time, money, marketing etc…